Raab Karcher

I have just discovered some nice vexy things but this gets in the way of
penning a message concerning Raab Karcher, a pioneer of push navigation
on the Rhine. Here is an image from a German eBay offer, ended 22 May of
this year and bearing item no. 6630107751. Horizontally divided white-red-white,
the house flag has black initials ‘RK’ on the red stripe – not a happy
combination I’m afraid.
Jan Mertens, 18 Jun 2006

Some information on this firm, named as one of the pioneers of push
navigation on the Rhine in “Duwvaart” by Jansen & Van Heck (1988),
a book which has already yielded many a flag (but not this one).

A drawn version is found on this Binnenvaart
page. Clicking the camera next to ‘1965 Otter’ at the end of the page
will lead you to a photo showing the flag (not very clear though).
Founded at Kaiserslautern in 1848 as a cooperative coal business, Raab
Karcher at one time traded in coal, construction materials, mineral oils,
etc. Later company seats were Karlsruhe and Duisburg. Some
history here.
“The company of Raab Karcher was established more than 150 years ago
in 1848, in (the) German region of Palatinate by partners Carl Raab and
Carl Heinrich Karcher. The original trading with coal was later extended
with other commodities, such as wood, building materials, fuel oils, chemical
products and others. From 1998 (on) the company operated within the trading
company of Stinnes AG, a part of (the) VEBA concern. As of January 1, 2000
the new owner of the Raab Karcher group became the French company Saint-Gobain,
which is active on the worldwide market of glass, structural and high-grade
materials.”
Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Raab Karcher old flag

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, based on an image sent by Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Not mentioned but implied is the demise of the shipping department…
I believe the WRW flag to be the last in use, but a recently found source
– flag picture auction – shows a blue flag bearing the firm’s pre-WWII
initials ‘RK / & Co’ (raised ‘o’ above stripe) in white. Source given
as „Flaggen ,die über Meere Völker verbinden“ (i.e. Flags joining
the peoples across the seas), Massary (cigarette factory Berlin), 1930.
Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Raab Karcher pennant

Defunct shipping company Raab Karcher is already on FOTW-ws:
Accompanying message 'Raab Karcher (DE) text, more pics' of 19 Jun
2006 was a picture of a Raab Karcher pennant - at rest, which is not so
bad.
Better however is to see it flying, and it happens here
(photo happily shows pennant - on the bow - as well as flag): Photo of
'Raab Karcher V', copyright Jan Verduijn.
(Why, the house flag is even bigger than the civil ensign!).
Jan Mertens, 8 May 2008